Second Wind
by MiiYuKira
Summary: Nanu subscribes to a popular pet breeder's magazine, and soon becomes friends with its top feature writer. She doesn't really want him, he tells himself. Neither of them really believe that. -Also, I'm only cross posting it on ff because it has come to my attention that F1SweetHeart has plagiarized it off AO3. The emojis don't work on here, so head on over to Ao3! :D
1. C1: Friends?

**Friends?**

The AMA was running late, but she wanted to keep it going for another fifteen more minutes. Most of the questions seemed tame and light-hearted; there were many whimsical ones from her readers, but the questions on pet health began to be pushed further down the page. Those were usually her main concern, she could feel the anxiety pulsate through the screen. However, her editors had told her to keep it lighthearted and engaging, in the name of subscription numbers and all that.

Her eyes flicked quickly and seized upon an easy opening. Perhaps just one more cute question from a dgrp14xx.

 _Yuki, what is ur favourite food?_

She chuckled. This was a classic.

 _I miss Kanto's sushi and bento, it's been a long time since I've had Kanto cooking. Luckily, I am quite adventurous when it comes to food, and I looooove spicy things. What would you recommend from your hometowns?_ _(_ _っ_ _ڡ_ _˘ς)_

And while the comments piled on that, she looked at the single-comment threads that referenced pokemon care. Picking through them, one drew her attention. It was made by oldmeowthguy, a handle she had noticed more frequently lately, someone who had rather astute comments about life with multiple pets and… well… life in general. He could come off as depressive, and rarely left comments unless astoundingly critical and on point.

 _My Persian has been drinking a lot recently. She's also been asking to go out more often. Should I be worried?_

 _It could be nothing,_ she replied. _But take her to a medical professional if you_ can. _I don't want to scare you, but it could be kidney disease. Best to have it checked out._

His answer was simple, and as usual, marvelously polite. _Ok. Thanks for taking the time to reply._

Yuki continued to stare the screen for a while, before returning to the thread on home-cooking invitations and family-owned restaurants, noting down some of the more interesting names and dishes. Though it was hopeless, she could stand to learn a few new recipes, and perhaps this time, they would turn out edible.

After yet another long day, Yuki fired up her Navi device and started surfing Petdit, though this time, she was doing the lurking; she did enjoy learning more about other people's lives. Living vicariously through others' experiences never failed to amuse her. She didn't see it as voyeuristic, merely that the world outside seemed so much closer when accessed online. Sifting through the usual fanmail, she discovered that a new direct message awaited her, from oldmeowthguy.

 _Hi kid, thought that you might like an update. You were right. Thank you._

She had to reply to this, it was impossible to resist something resembling an enigmatic compliment.

 _I'm sorry to hear that. I hope she's doing better now =_

She was a little startled when she received an immediate response, the notification popped up not ten seconds after she had hit 'send'.

 _I appreciate your concern. She's on several different kinds of medication and a new diet, still hanging on like the fighter that she is._

Her fingers seemed to move of their own accord. She felt emboldened.

 _Could... could I have a picture of her? She seems like a tough old gal._

It was certainly forward to ask this of a complete stranger, but somehow, Yuki felt the need to help document this pokemon with a nice photograph. She could tell that the Persian was very much loved.

 _Sure. One moment._

A minute passed, and she began to wonder if she had been too forward. Just then, an image popped up—a grey-blue maw and cool, beady eyes stared back at her from the screen. It was a little blurry, but she could tell that the Alolan Persian (exclusive subspecies to the region) was tired, light-coloured, almost white fur framing its eyes and jaw, blue jewel glowing dimly. Its quizzical expression seemed to mirror the face of the man behind it, presumably, oldmeowthguy.

He looked intriguing.


	2. C2: Two Days

**Two Days**

She had written her latest blog post in response to a certain someone's query on felines. It detailed common care tips of ailing pokemon (low phosphorus levels and high in antioxidants), and available market brands of diets one could purchase for particularly fussy types. Her editor had made her remove the homebrewed recipes she had used for her own pokemon, fearing the legal ramifications of less knowledgeable breeders using these 'advanced techniques'. Yuki rather thought that he had wanted to save these for a future issue in the main print form of their magazine, but acceded anyway.

She planned on sharing them if _anyone_ messaged to ask about cheaper options regardless.

The comments on the article came in fast.

 _Oh my gosh finally! Will try out all 3 for my darling Kiki!_

 _So is tis a paid-promotion? Evn on ur personal blog? sellout._

 _They actually taste pretty good with milk if you don't have any human food at home._

 _^wtf r u serious? Do people actually eat pokemon food?_

 _Don't buy any of them, this is obviously a ploy to sell things we don't really need #homemadeisbestmade_

And it was then she saw her target audience's reply, and her heart skipped a beat:

 _She usually only eats whatever I do, but will look into this. Thank you._

The curt response only seemed to encourage her.

As he logged off, Nanu looked down at the massive creature that had chosen to sprawled across his lap, effectively numbing both legs with its weight. She seemed to be doing well, though he admitted that sometimes he could not tell the difference between worrying lethargy and its usual laziness. He had tried to feed her wetter food to help stave off her thirst, but she refused to eat anything that had a mushy consistency.

Abruptly, the large form rolled off his lap and his thighs ached in relief. Right on schedule, Nanu noted. It was time for Missy's hourly 'visits' outside. He grabbed the slip of paper on which he had written some notes, and headed towards the door.

The Persian had sat there and eyed him, her tail swishing with a tinge of impatience.

"Give an old man a break," he murmured as he opened the door, and the large cat squeezed out quickly, breaking into a quick trot towards the nearest patch of grass.

He called out after her, "I'll head into town for a bit, be back soon."

He hoped that the store would deliver what he needed.


	3. C3: Ask and Receive

**Ask and Receive**

Stepping into the Pokémon Centre, Nanu walked over to the Poké Mart counter, waiting in line behind some chattering kids. They were all wearing the charms that showed that they were on their island challenge, and Nanu groaned inwardly. There were at least five of them, and it was a certainty that they would pounce and demand a battle as soon as he stepped out of the building later. Nanu thanked the gods that Pokémon Centres were considered sanctuaries.

"Good afternoon, how may I help you?" The boy manning the counter was cheerful and chirpy as always.

Pushing the notepaper across the glass surface of the counter, Nanu replied, still eyeing the youngsters who were whispering as they left the Pokémon centre. "Just getting a few things. Do you stock these here?"

The young man looked at the tiny slip of paper before glancing back up to meet his eyes apologetically. "These are premium brand feed… we only have them at our main store in Malie city. I'm afrai—"

Nanu was already sighing, and turning to leave. He supposed that he could always page for a Tauros ride, but those were ridiculously fast and jarring to the point that he had the sneaking suspicion one day, he would end up a smear across the road. He never understood how Hala and Olivia enjoyed them. Sitting on one of the sofas scattered around the clinic, Nanu closed his eyes and massaged his forehead. Charizards could barely carry a grown man, let alone one laden with sacks of pokemon feed.

"Hey, delivery's here. Where do we put them?" A Machamp had entered the Pokémon Centre alongside a short burly man, all four arms laden with large bags.

The youngster manning the Poké Mart sputtered in confusion. "Wha—? There weren't supposed to be any today—"

Nanu hung back idly and watched the exchange. "Beats me, just following up on the order on our end." The delivery man shrugged.

"Six bags of this fancy special pokemon feed. Three dry, three wet. Clearly specified, right here."

"That's what I'm trying to tell you, we didn—" The Poké Mart clerk stopped gesticulating and for a moment, looked defeated.

"I could take them off your hands." The clerk spun around sharply and faced Nanu. The young man looked embarrassed, and Nanu fought to keep a straight, nonchalant face. "Well, sir, I guess this is some kind of good luck, right?"

He shrugged. "Sure seems like it. How much for them all?"

"It's already been paid for." The delivery man shrugged again as the Machamp unloaded the goods next to him, placing them neatly into a precariously high stack.

Still, as far as free items went, the feed looked a little too pricey to accept, and Nanu did not want to leave more misfortune to fall upon the innocent shop staff. Just thinking about the trouble that could come from this made him a little uncomfortable. "I'll sign for it, just in case its owner comes looking."

The clerk made out a receipt immediately. It was clear that he was nervous about this irregularity.

 _Whew. These_ _were not cheap, even if one included the discount Poké Mart usually afforded to Kahunas._

He wondered if it was Tapu Bulu working its magi— and Nanu dismissed the thought as soon as it formed. Though an Island God, purchasing pokemon feed for elderly cats seemed a little out of its domain.

Nothing could induce Nanu to make himself available for persistent bunch of trial-goers outside (who had no sense of timing) for it was almost dinnertime. While waiting for a Machamp assistant of his own, Nanu flipped through numerous magazines that littered the tables at the Pokémon Centre. Most of them were on pokemon care, and despite their outward appearance, were published pretty recently.

One publication stood out among them, and Nanu drew it out from under the pile, well-thumbed and creased, slightly torn in areas. On the glossy cover was what appeared to be the magazine's youngest and newest writer, and the lower half of her face was covered completely by a thick scarf. Nanu was drawn to her eyes, the most piercing shade of blue, and this gave her face an arresting glow. It was certainly odd that they would feature a woman's face on the cover of a Pokémon breeding magazine.

"Won several awards, huh?" He glanced at the blurb written, though he kept returning to the penetrating gaze. Yuki. Her name seemed familiar, perhaps Nanu had seen her in the news before. It certainly was likely; the magazine touted her as a rising star in many areas relating to pokemon breeding and grooming.

The growl of a Machamp interrupted his thoughts, and Nanu looked up to see the hulking pokemon looming overhead. Directing its attention to the pile of bags in the corner with an angle of his head, he took the magazine over to the Poké Mart clerk.

"Look, I know it's the end of the month and these things usually sell out, but do you have one more lying around somewhere, for sale?"

The man gave a short bark of laughter, before catching Nanu's steely gaze, and quickly wiped the smile off his face. "It certainly sold very well, this is the last of our third restock." He rummaged under the counter, producing a copy that was in a more pristine condition.

"And of course, the poster, as advertised. Thank you for your patronage." The young man bowed deeply, hiding a growing grin as he wrapped the items in nondescript brown paper.

Nanu took the bag with no small amount of bemusement, and this puzzling matter held his attention while he and the paged Machamp walked back to the police station on the rainy outskirts of Po Town. He didn't even notice the crowd of trial-goers along the way.

As expected, Missy was not happy about his late appearance, and had narrowed her eyes in suspicion when he put a heaping bowl in front of her. Nanu had thought that she would out-rightly refuse to taste the feed, for she had acquired a taste for human food. She was also notoriously picky about taste, and preferred the driest Masalada one could get. Luckily, her hunger had gotten the better of her, and she devoured the fragrant mixture of wet and dry feed with little hesitation. Within five minutes, she was licking the bowl clean, a first in a long while.

It was only after Nanu began unfurling the wrapped poster that he understood the reason for the clerk's amusement.

The same image on the cover of the magazine had been magnified on the poster, and the girl's intense gaze was now penetrating, uncomfortably so.

Nanu hastily rolled it back up, tucking it away behind a table. Heat rose in his cheeks, strangely enough; given that he hadn't been out walking under the sun.

It almost felt like...

No, no that couldn't be it. He barely had enough time for the current ladies in his life (who walked on all fours and glared at him when he was late with dinner) to be feeling this way about a girl on a magazine cover.

*thank you to yumi_michiyo for helping with some of the edits I've made to this


	4. C4: Knowing

**Knowing**

"Hello? Yeah, I was thinking about doing a longer job on… more exotic locales. A few pieces from a region few people have heard of, you know—"

 _Onscreen, the editor narrowed his eyes, and Yuki knew that he was building a defense against her suggestions. He had that same look whenever she wanted to change the topics of her assignments. Specifically where?_

"Hmm…" She affected a look of deep thought on her face. "You know the Alolan region?"

 _Scratching one furry cheek, the editor frowned even deeper. We were already going to send someone else to Alola. Paniola Ranch wanted a special feature, they were very excited to sponsor Akamu, you know, he's from there. They prefer natives, you know?_

She paused, processing this abrupt kink in her plans. "Oh. Do you think he'd like to switch?"

 _He waved a hand in front of his face. Nah, just stay there on your island. Keep doing those articles on eevees and other cute pokemon. They're your thing. The readers love the cute, squishy kind of articles._ _Your articles._

"But I—" She began, but line had already been cut off. "I didn't sign up to just be some token girl on your cover." She muttered to herself.

She knew that she needed to make some very well-thought-out plans, and hopefully, none of them would involve seduction, or tears. Yet.

Nanu watched as Missy lay in the rare block of sunlight that shone through the open door of the police station. She was all stretched out, snoozing with the other meowths, none of which were her own brood. Her kittens did not survive childbirth, but it didn't even seem to faze her when this bunch had followed Nanu home one rainy night, mewling from a box he had scooped them in. She took one look at the 'kitten box', grabbed one of them by the scruff, and laid him on the spare couch, before bringing another sodden body, then another, and still more, deeper into the already-cluttered room of the station.

Before he knew it, they were a family of nine.

It hadn't been easy, raising them all since that fateful night, a mudslide had occurred around route 17, burying a few of the nests and dens in the area. Some villagers had tried to help relocate these pokemon, but somehow, Nanu was left holding the literal box. Alolan meowths were common, but they tended to be aloof. These traits did not make them as popular as rockruffs, or pyukumukus, which tended to be more affectionate and unusual pets. No one really wanted more than one meowth. But to him, they were alright, they didn't really care who or what you were as long as they were fed, and clean, and dry.

Nanu read the magazine for the third time. He had no idea that the forum he had joined was one that this Yuki had made to interact more with her fans. She certainly was a fan favourite, although her gimmick was that her articles were all on invariably, adorable pokemon and their needs as pets. Analyses on their favourite food types, tastes, odd fancies were definitely top-notch, though the intensity of her writing was continually punctuated by emojis. He counted himself lucky that meowths were considered 'lucky' overseas, and a small feature had been done on improving the well-being of its evolutionary form. Nanu made a mental note to subscribe to this series.

 _Mrooowwwwlll_. Insistent cries came from under the nearby table, and Nanu peeked, to see two of the smallest meowths on each end of the roll-up poster, shredding it amidst their tug-of-war. This image incited simultaneously the worst anxiety Nanu had ever experienced, as well as the ensuing frantic detachment of the kittens from his prec—from the collectible poster.

She— _it_ was saved, somewhat. Nanu stashed the poster in a drawer, making sure to tuck it away, safely out of sight.

Choking when he saw a message appear on the home page of Petdit that very evening, Nanu felt the chill of danger clutch his chest. He had lost his appetite for noodles.

 _Hi everyone! For the next issue of our magazine, we'll be focusing on the islands of Alola! Many alolan variants await our discovery— do look out for us as we explore the sunny region!_ _＼_ _(_ _)_ _／_

 _Panic._ He had not felt this way in a long time.


	5. C5: Lost

**Lost**

 _ **You told them what?!**_ Voices raised, tempers flaring.

Arms folded. _I told them that we would focus on Alola. You know, since Akamu would be headed there, it would be cost effective to do more articles in the region?_ She was already packed.

 _ **Do you even have any idea of how magazines are organized? We don't just focus entire issues to one region, we are not encyclopaedias or national ge—**_ A dismissive snort from her punctuated him mid-speech.

Hands had to hold him back. _Dangerous waters_ , they warned. She did not care.

 _Maybe it's time we do something different, I'm sick of being told to stick to my "niche" that you completely made up just so it would appeal to the "cute" crowd—_

 _ **I hired you to do what I tell you to do, I gave you a job—**_

 _A job?! You gave me layers upon layers of conditions! How many round and fluffy pokemon have I "featured" in my adorable emoji-filled writing? How many "gorgeous" creatures have I stalked and detailed, coloured lovingly with my pencils and paints? I play the role of a literary stereotype—_

 _ **And it sells perfectly well—**_

 _But I don't care if it sells well— none of us do, aside from you. We have actual souls._

A palm came down, and only her reflexes saved her, jerking away as it fell uselessly past. She knew it was coming, she had provoked it.

 _ **You don't care? I fed you out of my own pocket and home, you ungrateful little—**_

 _And as we all recall, I owe you nothing. My letter of resignation is on your desk, Brother._ She was surprised at how cold her own voice sounded as she left the meeting room.

Thunder rumbled overhead. The rain seemed to be spreading further south of route 17. It had been a long time since it poured like this over this specific stretch of road; the castforms were growing bold again. From his position on the sofa in the far corner of the room, Nanu could see Missy paw at the front door, turning every now and then to glare meaningfully at him. "It's late, and it's too dark outside. Use the meowths' pad if you need to go."

It was only when he heard her soft growl that Nanu hauled himself off the couch, pull on his uniform, moving to answer his princess's command.

"But you'll need a rinse after—it's raining so hard—it'll be so muddy," he muttered, half under his breath, but the insistent yowl made his movements just a bit quicker.

And out she went again, loping into the darkness that looked fit to drown the average person. Nanu grabbed an umbrella and had moved to shut the door behind him when Absol squeezed itself through the doorway, having bounded over the entire living area in a single leap.

"You too?" He narrowed his eyes at the Pokémon and shrugged in resignation as it too, trotted into the bushes in the pouring rain.

A piercing screech cut through the air, and Nanu turned in its direction. He had scarcely taken a step when Absol bounded back next to him. They advanced together in the direction that Missy had gone, and the winds impeded their every step, determined to keep them away.

 _When we found her, she had a huge castform pinned, and she seemed as if readying a thunderbolt, hackles raised in fury._

 _Brave girl! Show those rogue Pokémon what you're made of! ∑(O_O;_

 _Don't encourage her. It's not our job to choose habitats for the Pokémon who live round us._

 _Very zen of you, oldmeowthman._

 _I'm just being practical, we live among them, not the other way around. It's only fair to leave them to their own design._

 _I don't think you realise how heroic you sounded in that statement. (/_ _/)_

 _Well I..._

[...]

He had been looking at some of the older conversations he had with Yuki, for she had not updated on any website since that last announcement on touring Alola. Rumours were rife that she had left the company. Others claimed that her flight had been delayed, or worse—disappeared in its journey. Still more would say that all ferries from Kanto had been stopped or had gone missing—and the main website of her magazine had quietly removed her from their roster, which could only confirm the worst.

Irate fans demanded replies from the publisher, who ignored direct questions and pacified them with empty words. Nanu did not count himself among those who openly grieved for the loss of such a talented writer—clichéd as her topics were.

He found himself missing the intelligent banter in which she so gamely provided.

[...]

 _Well I don't want to alarm you but… your Absol and Persian technically could breed with each other._

 _I… don't really believe you._

 _No no, hear me out, you'll find this interesting._ _Owners often don't realise..._


	6. C6: Hatching

**Hatching**

In the days that she was gone, Petdit had incurred a war with Yuki's ex-employers. They had refused to shut down her personal profile page, settling for relisting her employment details. Public outcry over her disappearance soon faded.

It turned out that many of her fans were rereading the old articles posted on her personal page. Nanu saw that they were replying to her usual AHA (ask-her-anything) page... Even when she wouldn't, no longer.

 _Man, I really took her writing for granted. The rag is the same as all the rest now… Missing a spark. I miss the watercoloured pictures. I still have the eevee one on my bedroom wall. F- that publication._

 _She wouldn't have wanted us to boycott the mag, right?_

 _She would. She was as vindictive as anyone of us._

 _Nah, shes an angel. She wood not_

 _*she's *would_

 _Shuttup._

 _*Shut up_

 _Anyway… She likes Dark-type pokemon. She's probably living out some twisted fan's fantasy._

 _Get out. You will not talk about our princess like that!_

 _Jokes on you I liek her twisted around me. Kek._

 _She ded yo_

 _I h8 you guys._

It was depressing. Nanu admitted that he had logged on to check for updates—he had hoped that… _Never mind._ Nanu shut his eyes and felt an ache pulse in the middle of his head. Was this considered a missing person's? Did the police even entertain reports made by people online? The database certainly confirmed the multiple attempts at filing, but there were no clues. She'd just… vanished.

The faint light from the computer screen was all that illuminated the room. Nanu glanced over at the Pokémon, straining to see past the glow. Missy was asleep, curled up on the small sofa nearest the door, surrounded by the usual pile of meowths. Absol, on the other hand, was stretched out on the floor next to her, at the base of the couch. Krok preferred the kitchen, and Sableye… did not appear to sleep all that much, as did Honchkrow. But, all of them were at rest, something that did not come easily to Nanu. Most of all now.

He considered going over to see Lo— _Nah_.

Nanu laid back down, settling in for another long night.

She had not considered how tough going off-grid would be, though at least she was half-way there. Dodging inquiries at every step was easy if people didn't know what to look for—her hair was completely different now, and the eye contacts that muted her glacier-like glare were a godsend. She just knew that somehow, she had to head west, and though catching the same plane as Akamu had been risky… no one had called her out. Yet.

This insistent pull towards Alola just felt… uncanny.

Maybe she just needed a break. Her dramatic exit was completely unnecessary, of course, but walking out of that building with that many witnesses meant that he couldn't touch her. She couldn't be abducted immediately after leaving her employment, no, that would come later.

Ten long years of servitude, gone.

Perhaps the years had made them less vigilant.

None of them could have predicted this sudden rush of rebellion.

That, and this newfound boldness had not yet begun to terrify her.


End file.
